The Great War Graves in Jeanfield and Wellshill Cemetery, Perth, can be found scattered through it, mostly in its older parts.

Boy A A Cowper, RAF, 24/11/1918, aged 17:-

Private J F Michie, Highland Cyclist Battalion, 27/12/1916:-

Private J Macdonald, 31st Battalion Canadian Infantry, 24/1/0/1916, aged 28:-

Canadian Great War Grave. Private J Heron, 52nd Battalion Canadian Infantry, 4/10/1916, aged 33:-

Private W J Martin, The Black Watch, 17/8/1915, aged 53. It’s unusual even in a cemetery in the UK (overseas it would I suspect be impossible) to have other members of the deceased’s family commemorated at the same burial site:-

“Buried in this cemetery” Fireman J King, MMR, HMS No 12, 30/7/1915:-

Private T Birch, The Black Watch, 24/10/1917, aged 18. This also designates the resting place of “His Father, Thomas Birch.” (Same burial site commemoration is not unique then, even in this cemetery.)

Private J Lumsden, The Black Watch, 9/4/1919, aged 31:-

Private H Kennedy, The Black Watch, 31/1/01914:-

Private Andrew Muckersie, Highland Light Infantry, 31/8/1918, aged 37:-

Private D Whyte, 5th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry, 13/4/1915, aged 25:-

A dual commemoration. Lance Corporal A Gray, Gordon Highlanders, 11/10/1915, aged 19. Private T McColl, Gordon Highlanders, 26/3/1915. Commonwealth war dead headstones with more than one name are fairly common in Belgium and France, less so in the UK:-

Private A Rodger, The Black Watch, 7/11/1918, aged 21:-

Driver P Hodge Royal Field Artillery, 18/12/1919, aged 26:-

Private J Campbell, Royal Army Service Corps, 20/9/1919:-

Private C S Robertson, Army Service Corps, 13/11/1918, aged 38:-

Not far up from the Polish War Graves in Jeanfield and Wellshill Cemetery, Perth, lies a cluster of Commonwealth War Graves most of which mark Second World War deaths. There are at least 21 more individual war graves scattered through the cemetery.

Eight Graves (for the two behind see below):-

Four graves (the two behind can be seen below):-

Four more headstones:-

Three Second World War graves at right angles to the four above:-

One of these below died post-war. M Hislop, Auxiliary Territiorial Service, 12/1/1948, aged 29. The other was also in the Auxiliary Territiorial Service. Volunteer C MacLeod, 30/4/1941, aged 25:-

H D Barrie, Cabin Boy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ship “Demeter”, 1/11/1947, aged 21, again died post-war. Private J Macdonald, The BLack Watch, 10/2/1916 died during the Great War:-

There is a large part of Jeanfield and Wellshill Cemetery, Perth, given over to graves of Polish people whom I presume came to Britain in 1939 after Poland was overrun by Nazi Germany (and the USSR.)and their descendants.

This grave is of a former artilleryman in the Polish Army, Eddie Sylwester Nowak, 1912 – 2014:-

Wider view of Polish graves:-

Looking back down to Polish Memorial. Some Commonwealth War Graves are in the foreground here:-

A large section of Jeanfield and Wellshill Cemetery, Perth, is given over to graves of people from Poland (most of whom presumably came over to fight in World War 2) and their descendants.

This grave is of a former artilleryman in the Polish Army, Eddie Sylwester Nowak, 1912 – 2014:-

General view of Polish section:-

Looking back downhill towards the Memorial to te Polish war dead. (Some Commonwealth War Graves are in the foreground here):-

The headstone containing the names of (some of) my ancestors was in the graveyard of Church of St Nicholas.

While wandering the graveyard I found two Commonwealth War Graves, both from the Great War:-

Private J Shield, Northumberland Fusiliers, 10/11/1918:-

Serjeant J W Brabban, Royal Field Artillery, 27/11/1918, aged 21:-

Murie Cemetery lies just to the west of Errol, up a side road off the St Madoes Road.

Seven Commonwealth war graves lie in the cemetery and there is one of a Czechoslovakian soldier.

Below, from left to right; Sergeant C Moorehead, Pilot, RAF, 25/1/1943 aged 21, Lieutenant J H J Vernon, HMS “Macaw” 26/11/1944, aged 20, Sergeant W T Woodington, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, 20/12/1942, aged 19:-

Sub-Lieutenant, W V Stark, Royal New Zealand Volunteer Reserve, 7/3/1943, aged 20.:-

Sub-Lieutenant (A) B N Prance, RNVR, HMS “Jackdaw” 19/3/1943, aged 24, Sub-Lieutenant (A) A A J Robertson, RNVR, HMS “Jackdaw” 19/3/1943, aged 29, Sub-Lieutenant (A) J R Hobday, RNVR, HMS “Macaw” 30/3/1944, aged 19:-

František Drahovzal, RT, Czech Army, 10/6/1908 – 29/5/1943:-

By the side of St Andrews Cathedral in St Andrews There is a cemetery. In March this year I noticed a Commonwealth War Graves here sign so popped in for a look

There was one war grave, of Great War Private S Findlay, Labour Corps, 9/8/1917, aged 36.

I was sad to hear on the news today and read in the Guardian that the Imperial War Graves Commission* failed to ensure that African or Indian servicemen of the Empire in the Great War were accorded the same treatment in death as those from the UK and the Dominions.

I can’t say however that I was very surprised – a clue is in the name: Imperial War Graves Commission.

It’s no excuse for the behaviour of those in charge but the times were different and the attitudes of the powers that were were very unenlightened compared to those that I hope would apply now.

Again, there’s no excuse but it may have been a non-Western Front ruling. There are certainly individual graves of Maori soldiers at Birr Cross Roads Cemetery near Ypres. But New Zealand was of course a Dominion not a colony. (I also remember seeing somewhere a headstone for a Chinese member of the Labour Battalion but not which cemetery his grave was in.)

There are of course collective memorials to Nepalese and Indian soldiers at the Menin Gate as well as names of individual Burmese and Indian soldiers on the building itself.

However, it was and is deplorable that non-white servicemen were at any time not accorded the respect that was – and still is – their due.

*The name was later changed to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Private H Dobson, The East Surrey Regiment, 1/6/1940, aged 21:-

Sapper J McCarty, Royal Engineers, 8/11/1942, aged 20:-

Private R Binnie, Royal Defence Corps, 10/2/1918, aged 46:-

Private J Lacey, Royal Army Medical Corps, 12/3/1918, aged 25:-

Sapper J T Marshall, Royal Engineers, 23/4/1916, aged 34:-

2nd Corporal J Trodden, Royal Engineers, 21/2/1921, aged 23:-

Private H Herries, Durham Light Infantry, 14/3/1917, aged 23:-

Sapper W E Milne, Royal Engineers, 16/11/1945, aged 28 ; Private W Shone, The Seaforth Highlanders, 29/3/1946, aged 17; Gunner J Stubbings, Royal Artillery, 1/5/1947:-

Private W J Jackson, Durham Light Infantry, 25/12/1942; Private I Richardson, The Border Regiment, 9/11/1943, aged 24; Corporal J J Taylor, RAF, 24/11/1944, aged 44:-

Sergeant W Watson, Wireless Operator/Rear Gunner, RAF, 14/11/1941, aged 21; WO B 11 (BSM) T W Picken, Royal Artillery, 1/8/1942, aged 34; J Weatherstone, Observer, RAF, 9/8/1947, aged 23:-

Private W Hall, The Buffs, 5/5/1941, aged 18; W T H Oliver, Military Provost Staff Corps, 11/5/1941, aged 48; Guardsman C Hope, Grenadier Guards, 10-11/5/1941:-